uncovering the hidden costsof everyday consumption

nomics eco

?

meet joe.

average guyjoe’s an

right choices...trying to make the

family...for his

pocketbook.and his

joe will spendon consumer goods and energy

$25,000

in a single year,

and consume $100,000worth of natural resources.

for the productsjoe pays

he uses...

but is he paying the

of consumption?

what about the

costs?

costsfrom pollution & contaminants

costsfrom disaster and pollution cleanup& lost natural resources

for oil & agribusiness subsidiescosts

military costsfor energy & food security

what would the

of products be...true cost

costsreflected the

?if their pricetags

gasolinethe cost of filling up

retail cost

$43.73hidden costs

total cost

$232.11

what’s hidden? environmental, healthcare, subsidies, security, and other traffic-related costs

hidden costs

gasoline

retail cost

$1.99hidden costs

plastic kid’s toy

total cost

$3.94

made in china

what’s hidden? environmental costs for the oil needed to ship the toy

retail cost

$1.99hidden costs

cheeseburger

total cost

$3.00

the hidden cost of beef

what’s hidden? environmental costs from the production of beef

retail cost

$2.50hidden costs

bottled water

total cost

$5.23

the true cost of convenience

what’s hidden? environmental costs from the use of oil to produce and ship the plastic bottles

retail cost

$351hidden costs

home electricity

total cost

$784

a month’s supply

what’s hidden? environmental costs from the use of coal power

in a nation of304 million...

add up.costs

$513 billionannual U.S. consumption

of gas

$1.69 trillionhidden costs

annual U.S. consumption of goods made

in china

$338billion

$330 billionhidden costs

$38 billionhidden costs

$75 billionannual U.S. consumption

of beef

$5 billionannual U.S. consumption

of bottled water

$5.45 billionhidden costs

$370 billionannual U.S consumption

of electricity

$451 billionhidden costs

for the sake ofconvenience

or a lower pricetagtoday...

?

we’ve avoidedpaying the

costs.

so...

who will pay

our debt?

our kids.

through rising

and costshealthcare

and

and highertaxes

to pay for environmental cleanup, government subsidies, and food & oil security.

and

and we haven’t

the things you can’t put

a pricetag on...

even mentioned

and global warming

animal & plant extinctionslower quality of life

depletion of natural resources

so what’san average Joe

to do?

limit your impact.

reduce your consumption (buy used, borrow, grow your own food)

eat less meat

walk or bike instead of driving

vote with your dollars.

support eco-conscious businesses and products

buy food from farmers’ markets

shop local to reduce transportation and shipping costs

spread awareness.

talk to your family & friends aboutthe hidden costs of consumption

teach your kids to consume less

encourage your employer to be moreeco-conscious

your

make a difference.

everyday choices

think about the

costs

and make

choices.nomical

family...for your

pocketbook.and your

for more information, visit www.mindsalt.net

don’t forget to vote for us on slideshare!